The Outlander Book Tag

W...W...W...Wednesday 27/04/2016

To play along, just answer the following 3 questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I'm currently reading Dragonfly In Amber in Diana Gabaldon

I recently finished reading The Exile: Outlander Graphic Novel

I think my next read will be Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young

 

#FridayReads 22/04/16

22nd April [BLOGTOUR] The Obsession by Nora Roberts

Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Piatkus (14 April 2016)
ISBN-10: 0349407754
ISBN-13: 978-0349407753

She changed her name. She changed her life. But someone won't let her go. The brand-new novel of love, drama and hope from legendary Nora Roberts.             
Naomi Carson is a survivor. As a child, her family was torn apart by a shocking crime. It could have destroyed her, but Naomi has grown up strong, with a passion for photography that has taken her all around the world.
Now, at last, she has decided to put down roots. The beautiful old house on Point Bluff needs work, but Naomi has new friends intown who are willing to help, including Xander Keaton - gorgeous, infuriating and determined to win her heart.
But as Naomi plans for the future, her past is catching up with her. Someone in town knows her terrifying secret - and won't let her forget it. As her new home is rocked by violence, Naomi must discover their identity, before it's too late.
 Cover:  I like how simple this cover is.  I like that it's not a typical dark and gritty thriller type cover, as they're not my favourite.

I've read a few of Nora Roberts romantic thrillers now, and I have to say I've really enjoyed the ones I've read so far -Whiskey Beach and The Liar.
And I loved this one.
It instantly drew me in, with such an interesting premise.
Naomi has lived a difficult life- when she was young she saved a young woman's life.  A young woman trapped in a cellar.  A young being tortured by Naomi's father.  Her discovery changes her and her family's life forever.
Years later, she's changed her name and trying to forget about it, never getting too attached to people, because when they find out who she really is- things change.
With Xander though, things could finally be different.
While Naomi's happiness is finally within reach, women in the small down keep disappearing...and turning up dead.  Killed much in the same way her father murdered so many.
I loved this story- I liked that it told the story of a notorious killer's family, what happens to them, what they go through.
Also, the suspense with this 'new' killer on the loose.
My only issue was that the big reveal, the threat, and the over all ending seemed very sudden.  We had a big (and well done) build up.  And suddenly it was all over.
I would have liked a little more of an ending.
The romance between Naomi and Xander- I liked it.
I liked that they started off on the same page- nothing serious just fun and friendship between them, but it developed into something else.  Felt organic and it really worked.
The dog- Tag.  A stray dog that Naomi ends up with- totally stole the show for me.  He was an adorable little scene stealer.  Having a dog myself I totally knew what Nora Roberts meant when she wrote about him having expressive eyes, and knowing what humans are saying.  I loved him.
Over all, this was a great read that had my thoroughly engrossed, and I had a bit of a book hangover after reading this- had no idea what to pick up after, really struggled.  Would definitely recommend picking up.
4.5/5 stars.

Read from April 06 to 10, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday 20/04/2016 'Eligible'

Waiting on Wednesday is all about sharing the books that I'm eagerly waiting to be released.

This week the book I'm waiting on is Eligible by Curtis Sittenfield- a modern day re-telling of Pride and Prejudice.
Released 21st April.

From the “wickedly entertaining” (USA Today) Curtis Sittenfeld, New York Times bestselling author of Prep and American Wife, comes a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. A bold literary experiment, Eligible is a brilliant, playful, and delicious saga for the twenty-first century.

This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . . 

And yet, first impressions can be deceiving.

Wonderfully tender and hilariously funny, Eligible both honors and updates Austen’s beloved tale. Tackling gender, class, courtship, and family, Sittenfeld reaffirms herself as one of the most dazzling authors writing today.

W...W...W...Wednesday 19/04/2016

To play along, just answer the following 3 questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

My current read is Now That I've Found You by Bella Andre

I recently finished reading The Obsession by Nora Roberts

I think my next read will be Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Teaser Tuesday 19/04/2016 'Now That I've Found You'

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

-Grab your current read

- Open to a random pageShare two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser.

This week's teaser comes from the 50% mark of Now That I've Found You by Bella Andre.

"Rose woke up sprawled across Drake as though his body were her personal mattress, his chest her pillow.

Last night, she'd been too exhausted to seduce him the way he'd continually seduced her.  Heck, it barely took one of his smiles and the lightest brush of his fingertips over her cheek for her to end up completely lost in him.  She'd promised herself she wouldn't use him to drown her sorrows, but she'd simply been unable to keep herself from kissing him- and then showing him on an even more intimate level just how good he made her feel.  Inside and out."

March 2016 Favourites

Weekly Vlog | 4th-10th April | Obsession, Irritating Noise & Sentimental Saturday

March 2016 Reading Wrap Up

[BLOGTOUR] Flawed by Cecelia Ahern REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks (24 Mar. 2016)
ISBN-10: 0008125090
ISBN-13: 978-0008125097

The stunning YA debut from internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.
Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.
But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.
In this stunning novel, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society in which perfection is paramount and mistakes are punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her everything.


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Waiting On Wednesday 06/04/2016

Waiting on Wednesday is all about sharing the books that I'm eagerly waiting to be released.

This week the book that I'm waiting to be released is Jane by Patricia Park.  A contemporary re-telling of Jane Eyre.
Released 21st April.

"Re Jane" is snappy and memorable, with its clever narrator and insights on clashing cultures. "Entertainment Weekly" For Jane Re, half-Korean, half-American orphan, Flushing, Queens, is the place she s been trying to escape from her whole life. Sardonic yet vulnerable, Jane toils, unappreciated, in her strict uncle s grocery store and politely observes the traditional principle of "nunchi" (a combination of good manners, hierarchy, and obligation). Desperate for a new life, she s thrilled to become the au pair for the Mazer-Farleys, two Brooklyn English professors and their adopted Chinese daughter. Inducted into the world of organic food co-ops and nineteenth century novels, Jane is the recipient of Beth Mazer s feminist lectures and Ed Farley s very male attention. But when a family death interrupts Jane and Ed s blossoming affair, she flies off to Seoul, leaving New York far behind. Reconnecting with family, and struggling to learn the ways of modern-day Korea, Jane begins to wonder if Ed Farley is really the man for her. Jane returns to Queens, where she must find a balance between two cultures and accept who she really is. "Re Jane" is a bright, comic story of falling in love, finding strength, and living not just out of obligation to others, but for one s self. Journeying from Queens to Brooklyn to Seoul, and back, this is a fresh, contemporary retelling of"Jane Eyre"and a poignant Korean American debut. "

W...W...W...Wednesday 06/04/2016

To play along, just answer the following 3 questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

 

My current read is The Obsession by Nora Roberts

I recently finished reading Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

I think my next read will be Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

 

A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

Format: Kindle Edition
Print Length: 353 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1530496195
Publisher: Tillie Cole Ltd.; 1 edition (13 Mar. 2016)
ASIN: B01CXYSEB2

One kiss lasts a moment.
But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime.

One boy.
One girl.
A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade.
A bond that neither time nor distance can break.
A bond that will last forever.
Or so they believe.

When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation?

Rune’s heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. When he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.

Standalone Young Adult Tearjerker Romance.
For ages 14 and up.

Cover:  I love a beautiful AND relevant cover.  And that's exactly what I get with this.

This was a young adult offering from Tillie…and I loved it.

Rune and Poppy are inseparable from the moment they meet at age 5.

They instantly connect.

Poppy is a vivacious character with a lust for life and adventure.

Rune is a more introverted, artistic type.

But together, they just work.

Until Rune’s family move back to Norway, separating them for two years.

When Rune comes back, everything is different, and heartbreak ensues.

This is quite the tear jerker.  It turned me into a right watering pot for a lot of this book.  Even chapter 1 had me tearing up.

This was a great Young Adult novel.  It was different to anything else I’ve ever read. 

I know a few people that have been disappointed with the ending, but while it was unconventional, I think that’s why I liked it.

While it wasn’t necessarily a traditional happily ever after, I thought it was beautiful.

4.5/5 stars.

Definitely one to read.  Tillie Cole has become one of my all time favourit authors.  She makes me fall in love with her characters, whether it's her Adult, New Adult and now her Young Adult books.

The Intimidating TBR Pile TAG